You might be striking while the iron is hot, but you are not a machine.
Well, this year has been fabulous, I mean, a doozy. One big fabulous doozy.
However, despite the setbacks, it is still a great time to be alive.
As we roll into the month of November, this usually signals the beginning of the Christmas time rush (if it hasn’t started already). The end of the year is near and things are ramping up to a conclusion as people try and tie up the loose ends at work and schedule gatherings of friends and family for the festive period.
I’m not sure how people will take to the Christmas-New Year break period; part of me believes it will be subdued given what is going on, while another part of me reckons people are hanging out to celebrate, interact and be positive about something. Or maybe people will just be looking to take in a deep breath and let out a collective sigh having made it through 2020.
Peoples work situations are so various nowadays, however, that they may not get Christmas and/or New Year off, which is why scheduling a break when it best suits you is imperative. Who knows, maybe a mini-break is what you need right now, even if it is just to put your car in better shape for the final lap of 2020.
I don’t really buy the idea that some people are “too busy” to take a break and anyway, when people say that it usually is the exact time they need to take a break. This is why you plan ahead and schedule in some holiday/rest/down time. Obviously, there are going to be inopportune moments where this is impossible or inadvisable, but you get my point. By listening to yourself and knowing yourself you plan ahead to when you know you’ll need a recharge.
Back when I was studying psychology I recall reading some studies on productivity. In one example, a law firm (known for its 80+ hr work weeks and no days off) decided to test out whether taking regular, but small breaks of 3-4 days would make any difference to their billed hours at year end. Initially hesitant and believing this would decrease total productivity, it was found that the scheduled breaks actually increased their productivity and efficiency – not to mention the staff’s improved wellbeing.
Which brings me back to first line of this post, these lawyers in the previous example were striking while the iron was hot, but they weren’t machines. No human being is.
So, look after yourself and schedule in that break…and maybe even a Kit-Kat or two.
Indeed, it is very easy to become a zombie to routine and just going through the motions as well as not feeling like you can take a break with so much still to do. Self awareness is key, but also that from close family and friends who can advise when you're burning too much of the midnight oil per se.
Schedule a break.....mmmm......our lives get so busy now that we actually forget to slow down and just relax a tad and unwind. Life should be a balance of work, rest and play and that is something we all need to pursue to keep ourselves mentally and physically healthy in this rather demanding and stressful world in which we live. :-)